castlevania mirror of fate review

Mirror of Fate boldly reverses this trend, completely rewriting the Belmonts' history in the process. Worse than that, there are numerous occurrences of a particular door in the later half of the game that can only be open by enduring repetitive, button-mashing quick-time events, and that's after you've acquired the skill that's supposed to enable you to open the door to begin with. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD [Online Game Code] at Amazon.com. No one ever said this title will gonna be a next Metroidvania. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, Classic 2D gameplay and combo-heavy combat work well together, Stages are attractive and offer a variety of challenges to overcome, The plot bravely defies the series' history. Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? At the end of the day, demon slaying and clever platforming are the biggest reasons to stick until the lukewarm conclusion. The start of each act cascades back in time, leading up to the events of the act before it. The story in Mirror of Fate picks up after the conclusion of the first Lords of Shadow and follows the paths of three characters: Simon Belmont, his father Trevor Belmont, and Alucard. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD Opening sequence and gameplay Plot aside, Mirror of Fate is a straightforward affair with few innovative constructs, but … Get ready to tap the A button a dozen times. Most hidden passages are easy to spot, and the handy map-notation tool makes returning to explore suspect locations a mostly simple affair. You play as three different characters as you fight your way through hordes of enemies in search of Dracula. Mirror of Fate is a fun and engaging game, but it doesn't live up to the Castlevania name and it's very disappointing from a technical standpoint. Konami's iconic 'Castlevania' series has finally made the jump to Nintendo's 3DS. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate stirs up conflicting emotions. Unfortunately, due to the heavy hints laid out in the beginning, the intended element of surprise ultimately falls flat. This is a review of Castlevania: Mirror of Fate HD an in-between sequel that bridges Lords of Shadow 1 and 2. Now he just lurks at GameSpot. Mirror of Fate is that link, offering a handheld run-and-whip that maintains MercurySteam's decidedly Western aesthetic. But what does a fan think of MoF? Filled with intense and mature themes -- including some sexuality and deep family conflicts between fathers and sons -- it trades in graphic, bloody fantasy violence. Here's How, Apple Has Now Dragged Valve Into Its Fight Against Epic, By Regardless of the character in question, the game's combat system makes it easy to string together a series of direct and area attacks, well-timed blocks that can stun enemies, and evasive maneuvers. Plot aside, Mirror of Fate is a straightforward affair with few innovative constructs, but what is there feels tight. The element of exploration is a nice nod to the past, but Mirror of Fate fails to match the joy of discovery found in previous Castlevanias. They're enjoyable, if fairly simple in their execution. The prologue recaps a part of Gabriel Belmont's story from the original Lords of Shadow, and then you set out as his grandson, the crimson-clad Simon Belmont. Apart from these highlights, however, Mirror of Fate struggles with a handful of issues. Here's How, Apple Has Now Dragged Valve Into Its Fight Against Epic, By Peter's a glutton for Castlevania games and despiser of superfluous quick-time events. The level design is a far cry from the expertly crafted side-scrollers of the past, and certain story elements and audio blemishes may irritate devoted fans, but the adventure as a whole is certainly one worth undertaking. Peter Brown Mirror of Fate goes further than the expected visual upgrades, making small improvements that lead to a much more enjoyable experience. Video Review - Castlevania: LoS - Mirror of Fate Peter Belmont Brown takes on Dracula in this video review for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate. Each of their stories is told separately, but these threads weave together by the end of the game. The Castlevania series received a reboot and Mirror of Fate continues that narrative with a bridge story from the last game to the next. The game has all the right elements to make it fun and enjoyable. Your weapon is quite useful outside of combat, too, aiding your progress into the castle depths. Castlevania: Mirror of Fate has a lot of interesting concepts, but fails to capitalize on many of them. In most instances, quick-time events have been removed from Mirror of Fate HD in favor of allowing the action or cutscene to progress without further input. With their trusty lashes, they can conquer pretty much anything. The "Fate" of Mirror of Fate is tragic. GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. Mirror tries to do a lot of things all at once -- to be many different things simultaneously. Mirror of Fate is a fun, but not spectacular outing that provides some decent Castlevania action at a cheap price. Developing your grasp of combat mechanics is a fulfilling journey, but the prevalence of quick-time events repeatedly deflates the value of this progress. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's The second chapter in the Castlevania: Lords of Shadow saga, the 3DS's Mirror of Fate, brought the series closer to its roots than it has been in years. The three-character setup is an interesting method for storytelling, but it also allows for a bit of variety in play styles. on October 31, 2013 at 7:14PM PDT. It isn't tricky to maneuver through the castle, but a plethora of platforming sections keep things interesting. Sorry, but you can't access this content! Unfortunately, the rewards fail to impress, and since there's very little variety to what you discover, the sense of wonder soon fades. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Want to open a treasure chest? After completing the 3DS version, he played eight hours of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate HD on the Xbox 360 for this review. Latest Videos Articles Gameplay Trailers Reviews Images GameHelp. Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, Classic 2D gameplay and combo-heavy combat work well together, Stages are attractive and offer a variety of challenges to overcome, The plot bravely defies the series' history, Quick-time events are abundant and feel out of place, The fear of death is softened by constant, automatic checkpoints. Mirror of Fate is a Castlevania game for old-school Castlevania fans Now, in the case of the HD port, the positives rise to the surface rather than the negatives, and Mirror of Fate finally feels like a great addition to the series. You might discover a health or magic upgrade, or perhaps a new entry for your bestiary, but that's about it. Had some of the inconsistencies in gameplay been ironed out, the experience would have felt much more cohesive, but as it stands, Mirror of Fate is a good, but not great, addition to the historic Castlevania series. Depending on your tastes that can be good or bad, but it definitely feels different. Click Description for Boss List! Ready to deal the final blow to a difficult boss? Once Simon arrives at Dracula's throne, the game switches perspectives, putting you in the shoes of the mysterious Alucard, and eventually Trevor Belmont, Simon's father. Every character possesses different skills and secondary items, but they all wield a whip of sorts. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate stirs up conflicting emotions. Performing complex finishing moves with one or two well-timed button presses feels like a cop-out after mastering the tricky techniques and quick reflexes required during the heat of actual, not pseudo-cinematic, combat. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate HD This sequel to Castlevania: Lords of Shadow reveals the story of the Belmonts as they battle destiny across generations to discover their true fate. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate has gotten alot of mixed Reviews. It also looks good, especially for being a port of a Nintendo 3DS handheld title and will provide fans with more of the Belmont history than you could find on Ancestry.com. Secondary items and magic are somewhat underutilized, and you're only forced to use them on rare occasions. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate HD is a fun ride and will take you some time to play through. These are small changes, but the latter has far-reaching implications on the game at large. It has the most intriguing story in any Castlevania game to date, even if it is a bit predictable, and the emphasis on combat above exploration is a fair trade, primarily because the combo system is so fluid and sports a good amount of depth. By revealing big clues early in the game, Mirror of Fate fails to do so. Least of all, the controls have been loosened a bit, allowing you to use the D-pad to control your character. Castlevania: Lord of Shadow - Mirror of Fate … © 2021 GAMESPOT, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. Unfortunately, a small number of design choices got in the way of the good stuff, but in porting Mirror of Fate to consoles, Konami had a chance to finally fix those failings. In Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate, developer Mercurysteam has found its … Fending off monsters while navigating precarious platforms builds tension, and they are the best moments Mirror of Fate has to offer, but since time is the only element at risk due to an overabundance of checkpoints and a generous revival scheme, the game lacks the invigorating urgency that the threat of death can deliver. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is filled with these sorts of missives. When I reviewed Mirror of Fate the first time around, I lamented the fact that the game constantly shoved in quick-time events. Peter used to work at GameSpot. All this publication's reviews Read full review Mirror of Fate doesn't feel like "classic" Castlevania games at all. None of this has changed for the Mirror of Fate HD update, where the most obvious changes are in the visuals. Discovering the right formula for a quick, painless kill is challenging, but the reward of impressive displays of might and speed are worth the time it takes to get it right. The notion of telling the story in reverse is as promising as it is unorthodox, but it needs to be handled delicately to work. When you aren't confronted with throngs of enemies or tricky platforming sections, you might struggle with some of the environmental puzzles strewn throughout the castle. That's not to say the Belmonts and Alucard are wildly different from one another, but each comes with a slightly different repertoire of movement and attack abilities. It's not immediately apparent which textures or models are old, but what's here shines on a larger, clearer display. It’s as if the game designers were torn between the action-based mechanics of Lords of Shadow , and the tried and true exploration and basic platforming of the handheld games. Trevor Belmont, knight of the Brotherhood of Light, embarks on an epic quest to avenge his mother who was killed by his father Gabriel. Thankfully, the tight and entertaining gameplay prevents the experience from slipping into mediocrity. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Your primary weapon is often the most effective tool in battle, and like any good battle system, some attacks are better than others for a particular enemy-type. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow was well made but lacking its own identity. A gameplay video showing all of the bosses from Mirror of Fate HD with cutscenes in 1080p60. Unfortunately, the game suffers from a single glaring problem: It's not very good. All told, Mirror of Fate is a fun and occasionally challenging action game with successful elements and an unfortunate, but small, selection of poor design choices. Parents need to know that Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate is a rare M-rated 3DS game, and not suitable for kids. Its Devil May Cry -esque combat is missing key features to make it live up to competition like Guacamelee or Valdis Story . The problem is that every boss battle concludes with a multipart quick-time event, and failing to hit the right timing simply resets the cinematic to the last successful input. GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers. I no longer view Mirror of Fate as a good Castlevania game plagued by annoying design issues. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Mirror of Fate brings the series back to Nintendo's portable systems, where it thrived for a decade, after a lengthy hiatus. There aren't any fake walls or turkey roasts hidden away in bricks (barrels are a different story), but there are a fair amount of tempting opportunities lying in wait. They're encountered every few minutes as you ramble around the dark corridors of … The developers did a good job in capturing Castlevania’s soul, but the game’s soundtrack and level design aren’t good enough to stand a chance against the other portable episodes of the series. What we have here is an excellent Action Adventure set in the superb Lords of Shadow Universe. While it may seem like arranging mirrors to direct a laser around a series of twists and turns isn't the most logical way of powering on a contraption from the middle-ages, it's a mildly challenging diversion and a welcome change of pace. Privacy Policy, Now Playing: Video Review - Castlevania: LoS - Mirror of Fate. The story, despite its good points, concludes with a twist that can be seen coming from a mile away. When all is said and done, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate is a fine action platformer and an acceptable entry to the series. The grumpy daemon lord has a serious bone to pick with the Belmonts. The orchestration of these sections present a reasonable challenge, but more importantly, you feel like you're exploring the depths and heights of Dracula's castle, rather than sticking to plain paths laid by hallways and staircases. Equally pleasing are the flexible and responsive controls that bring the exciting combat system to life. Mar 5, 2013 5:55pm Mirror of Fate looks beautiful on the 3DS. The combination of the best elements from different corners of the series worked well, and the reimagining of the connection between the Belmont family of vampire hunters and Dracula provided an interesting if somewhat predictable twist. Castlevania: Lord of Shadows – Mirror of Fate is as enjoyable reboot, if you will, to an age-old franchise. Despite its predictability, the story puts an interesting twist on the tale of the fabled Belmont clan. Throughout the course of each chapter, you spend a good amount of time developing your character's skill set and learning the particulars of each attack. Initially set 25 years after the events of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Mirror of Fate will reveal the story of Gabriel's descendants, as they battle their own destiny in each era only to discover their true, shocking fate. Granted, the details of the plot are interesting, connecting characters in unprecedented ways that upset pre-Lords of Shadow lore, but these surprises, intended for the end of the game, are apparent too early into your adventure. Mirror of Fate on the 3DS may not have been the side-scrolling, vampire-hunting adventure that we all hoped it would be, but with its heightened presentation and revamped mechanics, Mirror of Fate HD is a big step in the right direction. It’s a middle title that fits between Castlevania: Lords of Shadow and the sequel Lords of Shadows 2. In both scenarios, you've proven your abilities and shouldn't be subjected to laborious inputs for the mere sake of it. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate is by no means a bad game, but it does little to make itself stand out in the Metroidvania genre. Thanks to the tight, responsive controls, it's easy to mash your way to victory, but every encounter provides opportunities to demonstrate mastery over the nuanced timing and complex commands. Prevalent quick-time events, and the often mundane situations that call for them, often feel unwarranted. © 2021 GAMESPOT, A RED VENTURES COMPANY. When grappling across chasms, or rappelling down walls, you need a keen sense of spatial awareness and timing to keep your footing and health in check. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate intends to expand upon the idea of the latter, promising some really interesting surprises and references for fans of the former. Interestingly, the graphical boost isn't the only difference between versions of Mirror of Fate. BlizzCon 2021: Biggest Announcements And Full BlizzConline Schedule, Want To Write For GameSpot In 2021? Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate was originally a 3DS title but has since been released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 (7 months after launch), and since I’m talking about it, Steam (1 year after launch). Terms of Use and It's not created by Igarashi, it's created by MercurySteam and they have indeed a very unique style. The character's whip-like Combat Cross let's them grapple and swing from chandeliers and broken bits of castle, then flow into hand-over-hand climbing sections where you have to leap over chasms before pulling yourself up to solid ground. Mercury Steam's beautifully twisted gothic designs for Mirror of Fate finally get the presentation they deserve, and though the in-game models appear rough around the edges compared to console-native games, Mirror of Fate HD's presentation is surprisingly strong. It's a mixture of new blood and old, but how does it taste? BlizzCon 2021: Biggest Announcements And Full BlizzConline Schedule, Want To Write For GameSpot In 2021? On the one hand, it's a good action game that draws you into the depths of Dracula's castle with its beautifully tormented gothic design. Quite annoyingly, any treasure chests you find require the same rapid button presses to open. Peter Brown Mirror of Fate is best when it separates interactivity and passive entertainment, so the fact that it hurts itself by blurring the two so frequently is a major disappointment. Traditionally, generations of Belmonts have faced off against Dracula in a never-ending battle to save humanity, with very little character development along the way. Mirror of Fate is more reminiscent of the two dimensional days of the franchise, and better compared to fan favorites like Symphony of the Night or the other games in the Castlevania series that encouraged exploration and puzzle solving as the primary gameplay mechanics. By taking liberties with the series' lore, it opens the door for an exciting conclusion to the Lords of Shadow timeline. Beyond this, the most important change is the removal of the vast majority of quick-time events. Enjoy! Initially set 25 years after the events of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, Mirror of Fate will reveal the story of Gabriel's descendants, as they battle their own destiny in each era only to discover their true, shocking fate. This is most obvious during boss fights, which demand precision and quick reflexes. Watch Video Read Article. With your map and its handy objective icon, you navigate the halls of Dracula's castle, fending off zombies, seething, skull-headed rat-dogs, and undead knights, with an occasional challenging boss fight along the way. The few puzzles in the game are generally well designed, but they primarily task you with finding the appropriate arrangement for a series of objects. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. With Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate MercurySteams follows its own way of thinking about the epic Konami franchise. With the return to 2D, there's a renewed attention to exploration and discovery. Prepare for a series of button presses that can't be missed. on March 5, 2013 at 5:55PM PST. Dec 16, 2019-128. Side-scrolling action made a comeback, with a small amount of Symphony of the Night-style exploration in tow, but it also maintained the combo-driven combat established in the first Lords of Shadow game. Mirror of Fate first gives players control of Gabriel Belmont, star of Lords of Shadow, in a prologue sequence that introduces the character's fate and the base control scheme. It takes time to get used to the game's compartmentalized, as opposed to singular, map, but it's not too hard to navigate when the time comes to backtrack for secrets.

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